The Ugly Truth About Beer and Your Belly

If you have a beer belly then you are not alone. Across the globe it seems that beer drinkers have a tendency to grow belly especially as they get older or if they are men.

But is it really a beer that causes a beer belly? This might not be true for some of us. Therefore to understand the basic science behind it, we have pen down some pointers that will definitely help to solve your dilemma about beer.

What causes a beer belly?

The four main reasons any person gets beer belly are - drinking beer with higher calories, the wrong kind of beer, ignoring exercise and lastly your metabolism and age. Let's have a closer look at these:

Calories in beer

Get a brief picture of calories in beer and get answers for the most frequently asked questions about them.

Calories in a single pint (500 ml) of popular imported beers in India:

Kingfisher: 218

Tuborg: 202

Kingfisher ultra:140

Pilsner Urquell: 220

Michelob: 127

Guinness: 180

Heineken: 220

Corona: 148

Budweiser: 207

Stella Artois:295

Beck’s – 215

Between beers & breezers, which is healthier & lower calorie?

Compared to breezers, beers have lower calorific value. Alcoholic breezers are loaded with sugar and can have a higher alcoholic content, both of which lead to more calories, and fat content.

One small bottle of regular beer approximately contains 140-180 calories.There are a number of factors on which it depends– carbohydrate content and alcoholic content. The higher the alcoholic content, the higher its caloric value!

2. Between draught beer and bottled beer, which is healthier?

Draught beer may contain up to 15% lower calories than bottled beer. But it's slightly healthier, since it does not contain as many preservatives as bottled beer.

3. Negligence towards exercise

Losing your beer belly is only possible by losing weight. The two important things that works around it- is the kind of food intake and an involvement in regular exercise routine.

Aerobic exercises such as running, swimming and cycling are some of the best way to get rid of belly fat. But as it is mentioned diet and exercise goes hand in hand so along with exercise , a systematic diet plan can do wonders to get rid of protruding belly.

4. Age, genes and fat storage

Note that, alcohol consumption does lead to fat storage. Indian genetics put us at a higher tendency to gain belly fat, so it's very easy for Indian men to get a beer belly! Also, note that excessive alcohol cause man breasts irrespective of age.

Things you should remember if you do not want a beer belly-

Beer lovers should go for light beers less than 100 calories or cut down the portions.

Don’t forget to have healthy meals before or with your drinks.

Prefer to have only on weekends than on regular basis.This could be your first step towards healthy move and then gradually keep only alternate weekends for boozing.